Joseph Gordon-Levitt has declared that his character in cult indie flick (500) Days Of Summer is “selfish” and not a romantic role model.

Gordon-Levitt’s portrayal of the lovestruck Tom Hansen in the 2009 flick, which co-starred Zooey Deschanel, cemented his status as an indie heartthrob, with the actor going on to secure roles in blockbusters including Christopher Nolan’s Inception and this year’s The Dark Knight Rises.

Speaking to Playboy, however, he said: “The (500) Days Of Summer attitude of ‘He wants you so bad’ seems attractive to some women and men, especially younger ones. But I would encourage anyone who has a crush on my character to watch it again and examine how selfish he is.”

Despite making it clear that he “really liked” the film, he added: “He develops a mildly delusional obsession over a girl onto whom he projects all these fantasies. He thinks she’ll give his life meaning because he doesn’t care about much else going on in his life.”

“A lot of boys and girls think their lives will have meaning if they find a partner who wants nothing else in life but them,” he concluded. “That’s not healthy. That’s falling in love with the idea of a person, not the actual person.”

Gordon-Levitt also spoke about his time making The Dark Knight Rises and described the process as a “fucking great time”. “I felt as though I’d transferred in for senior year and had a graduation celebration,” he said. “You felt a huge sense of accomplishment and closure. Everyone on that movie did such good, dignified work. No one came to phone it in or just cash a cheque.”

Earlier this week (August 13), it was reported that The Dark Knight Rises had passed the $800 million (£510 million) mark at the worldwide box office. However, its box office total remains behind the previous instalment in Nolan’s Batman trilogy, 2008’s The Dark Knight, which grossed a shade over $1 billion (£640 million) worldwide. At present, The Dark Knight Rises is grossing slower than its predecessor in the US, but compensating for the shortfall in international markets.